Support assembly for a tiltable hot metal processing vessel

ABSTRACT

A support assembly for a tiltable hot metal processing vessel, including a trunnion ring encircling the vessel, and upper and lower support brackets fixed to the vessel. The upper support brackets are arranged to engage bearing surfaces on the upper portion of the trunnion ring. The lower brackets are provided with inclined bearing surfaces sloped downwardly and outwardly from the upright vessel. The lower surface of the trunnion ring is provided with inclined support surfaces which confront the bearing surfaces of the lower brackets, and which slope downwardly and outwardly but diverge outwardly with respect to the bearing surfaces of the lower brackets. Wedge pieces are disposed between and engage the lower support surfaces of the trunnion ring and the bearing surfaces of the lower brackets.

United States Patent Mevissen et al.

SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR A TILTABLE HOT METAL PROCESSING VESSEL lnventors:Ernst A. Mevissen, Robinson Township,

Allegheny County; Stanley M. Coulter, Wexford, both of Pa.

Assignee: Dravo Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Filed: Aug. 20, i970 Appl. No.: 65,649

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1970 Kalb et al. ..266/36 PApr. 4, 1972 ABSTRACT A support assembly for a tiltable hot metalprocessing vessel, including a trunnion ring encircling the vessel, andupper and lower support brackets fixed to the vessel. The upper supportbrackets are arranged to engage bearing surfaces on the upper portion ofthe trunnion ring. The lower brackets are provided with inclined bearingsurfaces sloped downwardly and outwardly from the upright vessel. Thelower surface of the trunnion ring is provided with inclined supportsurfaces which confront the bearing surfaces of the lower brackets, andwhich slope downwardly and outwardly but diverge outwardly with respectto the bearing surfaces of the lower brackets. Wedge pieces are disposedbetween and engage the lower support surfaces of the trunnion ring andthe bearing surfaces of the lower brackets.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 4 I972 SHEET 1 OF 3 INVENTORSERA/$7 A. MEV/SSE/V and STANLEY M. COULTER their Allarnoys PATENTEDAPR 4m2 3,653,648

SHEET 2 OF 3 f O O; 44 42 46i- INVENTORS ERNST A. MEI/I86 and STANLEY M.COUL Meir Aflarn eys 'PATENTEDAPR 4 m2 SHEET 3 BF 3 /NVENTOR$ ERNST A.MEVISSEN 00d STANLEY M COULTER HIM! VIII 4+ & 5-

their Attorneys SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR A TILTABLE IIOT METAL PROCESSINGVESSEL This invention relates to a support assembly for a tiltable hotmetal processing vessel, and particularly to a support assembly foraccommodating the radial and axial thermal expansion and contractionwhich the vessel undergoes as a result of the heat generated by themetal refining operation.

Various hot metal refining processes, such as steelmaking, require theuse of a tiltable converting vessel. The vessel must be tiltable from avertical blowing position to an upside down discharging position andback again into the upright position. The support assembly for thevessel includes a trunnion ring encircling an intermediate section ofthe vessel and engaging bearing surfaces of upper and lower bracketsmounted on the vessel. Trunnions are fixed to the ring and means areprovided to drive the trunnions and ring for tilting the vesselrDuringthe refining operation when large amounts of heat are generated, thevessel will expand in the radial and axial directions as .well ascircumferentially. The radial and axial expansion will result in a gapbetween the lower bearing surfaces, and during tilting, the vessel willdrop onto the trunnion ring lower bearing surfaces. This dropping of thevessel may result in damage to the vessel or to the trunnion ring.

Various support arrangements have been developed to accommodate the gapproblem createdby the thermally expanding vessel. Two such arrangementsare described in U. S. Pat. Nos. 3,191,921 and 3,337,205. In botharrangements inclined bearing surfaces are provided between the trunnionring and vessel mounted brackets where the inclination is designed tofollow the direction of expansion of the vessel. Thus, when the vesselexpands while in its upright position, the brackets, particularly thelower brackets, will move along the inclined bearing surface of trunnionring. No gap will be created between the lower bearing surface, as wouldbe the case were the bearing surfaces flat.

The combined radial and axial expansion of the vessel has a resultantdirection of expansion. This direction is believed to be at an angle tothe horizontal whose tangent is essentially the distance between theupper and lower brackets divided by the outer radius of the vessel. InU.S. Pat. No. 3,191,92l the angle of inclination of the lower bearingsurfaces is the same as the theoretical expansion angle. U.S. Pat. No.3,337,205 provides inclined upper and lower bearing surfaces, each beingone half the theoretical expansion angle. In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,191,921design a problem arises in that with the vessel in the inverted positionthe forces on the inclined lower bearing surfaces (now the upper bearingwith the vessel inverted) are of such magnitude that the bearingsurfaces on the trunnion ring could be urged out unless they havesubstantial structure to hold them in place. We overcome this problemwhile still providing for accommodation of the radial and axialexpansion of the vessel, by placing wedge pieces between the bear ingsurfaces of the lower brackets and the lower bearing surfaces of thetrunnion ring. More particularly we provide a supporting assembly fortiltable hot metal processing vessels preferably comprising a pluralityof upper brackets for attachment to the vessel at spaced intervalsthereabout, each having a leterally extending trunnion ring-engagingportion; a plurality of lower brackets for attachment to the vessel atspaced intervals thereabout at a level below the upper one, each lowerbracket having a laterally projecting supporting portion, the supportingsurface of which in inclined downwardly and outwardly with respect to aplane transverse to the axis of the vessel; a trunnion ring sized toencircle the vessel, the top surface of which is arranged to havesliding contact with the ring engaging portions of the upper bracketsand the lower surface of which is spaced above the supporting portionsof the lower brackets, the lower surface of the ring which is spacedfrom but which confronts the supporting portions of the lower bracketsbeing also inclined downwardly and outwardly but diverging outwardlywith respect to the supporting surfaces of the lower brackets; and awedge on the supporting surface of each lower bracket in the spacebetween the lower surface of the ring and the supporting surface of thebracket with top and bottom surfaces sloped to match the slopes of therespective surfaces between which the wedge is entered, the wedge beingconfined to allow limited relative radial movement between it and theparts between which it is disposed.

Other details and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthe following description of a present preferred embodiment thereofproceeds.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown a present preferredembodiment of this invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a hot metal processing vessel with expansionaccommodating support means constructed in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the vessel of FIG. 1 shown tilted at anangle from the vertical;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in.plan of one upper bracket forming part ofthe support means of this invention, and a fragmentarysection of thewall of the vessel to which the bracket is mounted, and a fragmentaryplan view of the trunnion ring upon which the bracket is disposed;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the bracket arrangement of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view looking along the line V--V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of one lower bracket forming part of thesupport means of this invention, and support block with a part cut awayto show the wedge piece below the block and a fragmentary section of thewall of the vessel to which the bracket is mounted, and a fragmentarysection of the trunnion ring to which the block is fixed;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the bracket, block, and wedgearrangement of FIG. 6;.and

,FIG. 8 is a view looking along the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a hotmetal processing vessel 10 having a substantially circularcross-section, and being of any well known construction. The vessel 10is supported for tilting from an upright vertical position to acompletely inverted position and back again to the upright position.'Thesupport means for the vessel 10 includes a hollow trunnion ring 12encircling an intermediate section of the vessel and radially spacedfrom the vessel. Diametrically opposed trunnion shafts l4 and 16 arefixed to the trunnion ring 12 and are supported for rotation in bearinghousings l8 and 20, respectively, arranged on ground sup portedstanchions 22 and 24, respectively. One of the trunnion shafts isconnected with a drive means, now shown, for providing the motive forceto tilt the vessel 10.

Two pairs of diametrically opposed identically shaped, circumferentiallyspaced upper brackets 30 are mounted to the wall of the vessel 10. Onepair of upper brackets 30 is arranged with one bracket adjacent to eachside of the trunnion shaft and trunnion ring coupling. The other pair ofupper brackets 30 is arranged similarly with respect to the oppositetrunnion shaft. There are also provided two pairs of diametricallyopposed identically shaped, circumferentially spaced lower brackets 32mounted to the wall of the vessel 10, and in alignment with the upperbrackets 30. FIGS. 3-5 illustrate one upper bracket 30 in itsrelationship to the wall of vessel 10 and a bearing surface on trunnionring 12. All of the upper brackets 30 and associate parts areidentically shaped and only one bracket arrangement willbe describedwith the understanding that it also pertains to the other threebrackets. Similarly, each lower bracket 32 and its associated parts areidentically shaped and are illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, and only onedescription thereof will be made with the understanding that it alsopertains to the other three lower brackets.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, upper bracket 30 is bolted to the wall of thevessel 10 and includes a central portion 34 with an open lower sectionhaving side walls 36 and 38. The open lower section of central portion34 defines a bearing surface 40 which seats on the upper surface of aflat bearing block 42 fixed on the upper surface of trunnion ring 12.Wear plates 44 and 46 are disposed between the sides of bearing block 42and the side walls 36 and 38, respectively, of central portion 34.

The wear plates 44 and 46 are detachably fixed to the ends of side walls36 and 38, respectively, for removal when replacement is necessary. Awear strip 43 forms the upper surface of bearing block 42 and may bereplaced when necessary without need for replacing the entire block.When the wall of vessel thermally expands circumferentially, the upperbrackets 30 will also expand circumferentially. By embracing the bearingblock 42, as just described, the bracket 30 will move away from theblock 42 and, thus, no stresses will be created between the bracket andthe block as the vessel expands circumferentially. As the vesselradially expands and contracts, the wear strips 44 and 46 will slidealong the side surfaces of bearing block 42. Also, the bearing surface40 of central portion 34 will slide along wear strips 43. This slidingbetween the surfaces will result in wear of the wear strips and a needfor their eventual replacement.

As shown in F IGS. 6-8, each lower bracket 32 is bolted to the wall ofvessel 10 and is arranged below the lower surface of trunnion ring 12.Each lower bracket 32 has a central portion 50 with an open top endsection formed by side walls 52 and 54 and an inner inclined section orbearing surface 56 sloping downwardly and outwardly with respect to aplane transverse to the axis of vessel 10. The bearing surface 56 isarranged directly below and spaced from a bearing block 58 fixed to theunderside of trunnion ring 12. The bearing block 58 has an inclinedbearing surface sloping downwardly and outwardly with respect to a planetransverse to the axis of vessel 10. The slope of the bearing surface ofbearing block 58 is slightly less than that of bearing surface 56. Thus,the bearing surface of bearing block 58 diverges outwardly with respectto bearing surface 56. A wedge 60 is disposed between and engages thebearing surface of bearing block 58 and bearing surface 56. The upperface of wedge 60 is sloped to match the slope of bearing block 58, whilethe lower face of the wedge is sloped to match the slope of bearingsurface 56. A plate 64 is detachably fixed, as by bolts 66, to the outerend of bearing block 58 and extends down to a point opposite the lowerouter edge of wedge 60. Adjusting screws 70 are arranged through thelower end portion of plate 64, for engaging the outer end of wedge 60for holding the wedge in place and also to move the wedge inwardly withrespect to bearing surface 56 and bearing block 58. Nuts 72 and 74 arearranged in the screws 70 on opposite sides of plate 64 for turning thescrews and locking them in place on the plate. Wear strips 80 and 82 aredisposed between the end walls 52 and 54 and the sides of wedge 60 andbearing blocks 58. The wear strips 80 and 82 are detachably secured, asby bolts 84, to the outer ends of side walls 52 and 54. Wedge 60 isarranged between the bearing surface 56 and bearing block 58 so as topermit a limited relative radial movement between bearing surface 56 andthe lower side of the wedge. In other words, wedge 60 is loosely fittedto permit the bearing surface 56 to slide on the lower side of thewedge.

As with respect to upper brackets 30, thermal expansion of vessel 10circumferentially will not create stresses between the lower brackets 32and the wedges 60 and bearing blocks 58 since the lower bracket willexpand circumferentially with the wall of the vessel and away from thewedge and bearing blocks.

When vessel 10 undergoes radial and axial expansion, the bearingsurfaces 56 will slide along the lower surfaces of wedges 60 and remainin engagement therewith. A gap is thus avoided between the bearingsurfaces 56 and wedge 60 to thereby prevent the undesireable drop ofvessel 10 which would otherwise occur when vessel 10 is inverted.

There is also provided a pair of identically shaped upper secondarybrackets 95 fixed to the shell of the vessel 10 for limiting lateralmovement of the vessel when it is in the upright and inverted positions.Each secondary bracket is located in a position approximately 90 fromthe centerline of trunnion shafts l4 and 16. Each bracket 95 isgenerally L-shaped with the back portion being contoured to thecurvature of the vessel 10 while the bottom portion extends radiallyfrom the vessel to engage a bearing surface on the top surface oftrunnion ring 12. identically shaped blocks 98 are fixed to the uppersurface of trunnion ring 12 adjacent and spaced slightly (viz. Vs inch)from the opposite sides of the bottom portion of bracket 85. By thearrangement just described, brackets and blocks 98 will cooperate tolimit the lateral shifting of vessel 10 in its upright and invertedpositions.

As noted previously, the expansion angle for the movement of the vessel10 when it thermally expands is that angle having the tangent determinedby the spacing of the upper and lower brackets divided by the outerradius of the vessel. In vessels in common use today, this expansionangle has been determined as being around 30. By using a 30 slope forthe lower bearing surface without an intermediate wedge, the vessel 10would impart a large force on the wedge which could drive that wedge outfrom the trunnion ring if it were not adequately supported. We find thatwith our wedge 60 this problem is considerably reduced. We make ourwedges 60 with an angle equal to about half the slope angle of ourbearing surfaces 56, thus making the angle of inclination of the bearingblocks also equal to half the slope angle of the bearing surface 56.Also, we use about a 24 slope angle which is less than the theoreticalangle of 30, but we find, nevertheless, that it satisfactory inperforming the intended function of accommodating the radial and axialexpansion of vessel 10. It has also been found that by using a 30 slopefor the lower bearing surfaces, bending between the sliding surfacesresults during radial and axial thermal expansion of the vessel. Our 24slope angle avoids bending of the sliding surfaces during radial andaxial expansion of the vessel.

While we have shown and described a present preferred embodiment of thisinvention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is notlimited thereto by may be otherwise variously embodied within the scopeof the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination with a tiltable steel-making converter vessel, asupport for the vessel designed to provide for radial and axial thermalexpansion and contraction of the vessel comprising:

a trunnion ring designed to encircle an intermediate section of thevessel and having an upper bracket-contacting surface and a lowersupporting surface;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced upper brackets mounted on thevessel, said upper brackets each having a bearing surface engagingcorrespondingly the bracketcontacting upper surfaces of said trunnionring;

a plurality of circumferentially spaced lower brackets mounted on thevessel, said lower brackets having inclined bearing surfaces slopingdownwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to the centerline ofthe vessel;

said trunnion ring having its lower supporting surface spaced above andconfronting the bearing surfaces of the lower brackets and slopingdownwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to the centerline ofthe vessel, but diverging outwardly from the confronting slopingsurfaces of the lower brackets; and

separate wedge pieces disposed between and engaging the bearing surfacesof said lower brackets and the lower supporting surfaces of saidtrunnion ring.

2. Supporting means for a tiltable hot metal processing vessel subjectto thermal expansion and contraction in radial and axial directions,comprising:

a plurality of upper brackets for attachment to the vessel at spacedintervals thereabout, each having a laterally extending trunnionring-engaging portion;

a plurality of lower brackets for attachment to the vessel at spacedintervals thereabout at a level below the upper ones, each lower brackethaving a laterally projecting supporting portion, the supporting surfaceof which is inclined downwardly and outwardly with respect to a planetransverse to the axis of the vessel on which it is mounted;

a trunnion ring adapted to encircle the vessel, the top surface of whichis arranged to have sliding contact with the ring-engaging portions ofthe upper brackets when they are operatively positioned on the vesseland the lower surface of which is spaced above the supporting portionsof the lower brackets when the lower brackets are in operative positionon the vessel, the lower surface of the ring which is spaced from butwhich confronts the supporting portions of the lower brackets being alsoinclined downwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to the axis ofthe vesselbut diverging outwardly with respect to the supportingsurfaces of the lower brackets; and

a wedge on the supporting surface of each lower bracket in the spacebetween the lower surface of the ring and the supporting surface of thebracket with top and bottom surfaces sloped to match the slopes of therespective surfaces between which the wedge is entered, the wedge beingconfined to allow limited relative radial movement between it and theparts between which it is disposed.

3. The support means as set forth in claim 2 wherein the surfaces of thetrunnion ring which confront the supporting surfaces of the lowerbrackets are provided by metal blocks of outwardly increasing thicknessfixed to the bottom of the ring.

4. The support means as set forth in claim 3 wherein the lower bracketshave a side wall at each end of the outwardly and downwardly inclinedsupporting surface between which said blocks have a working fit tosubstantially limit the vessel against axial movement relative to thering.

5. The support means as set forth in claim 2 wherein the upper bracketshave a slide wall at each end of the ring-engaging portion thereofbetween which the portions of the top surface of the trunnion ring whichcontact the ring-engaging portions have a working fit to substantiallylimit the vessel against axial movement relative to the ring.

6. The support means as set forth in claim 3 wherein each wedge piece isadjustably not fixed to a block for relative adjustment radially of thevessel.

7. In the combination of a tiltable hot metal processing vessel, atrunnion ring encircling the vessel, and upper and lower support meansbetween the vessel and trunnion ring; the improvement therewith in thelower support means, comprising:

a plurality of circumferentially spaced brackets mounted on the vesseland having inclined bearing surfaces thereon sloping downwardly andoutwardly from a plane transverse to the centerline of the vessel;

the trunnion ring having inclined lower supporting surface spaced aboveand confronting the bearing surfaces of the brackets and slopingdownwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to the centerline ofthe vessel, but diverging outwardly from the confronting slopingsurfaces ofthe brackets; and

separate wedge pieces disposed between and engaging the bearing surfacesof said brackets and the lower supporting surfaces of the trunnion ring8. The improvements as set forth in claim 7 wherein the lower supportingsurface of the trunnion ring which confronts the bearing surfaces of thebrackets are metal blocks of outwardly increasing thickness fixed to thebottom of the ring.

9. The improvement as set forth in claim 8 wherein each wedge piece isadjustably not fixed to a block for relative adjustment radially of thevessel.

1. In combination with a tiltable steel-making converter vessel, asupport for the vessel designed to provide for radial and axial thermalexpansion and contraction of the vessel comprising: a trunnion ringdesigned to encircle an intermediate section of the vessel and having anupper bracket-contacting surface and a lower supporting surface; aplurality of circumferentially spaced upper brackets mounted on thevessel, said upper brackets each having a bearing surface engagingcorrespondingly the bracket-contacting upper surfaces of said trunnionring; a plurality of circumferentially spaced lower brackets mounted onthe vessel, said lower brackets having inclined bearing surfaces slopingdownwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to the centerline ofthe vessel; said trunnion ring having its lower supporting surfacespaced above and confronting the bearing surfaces of the lower bracketsand sloping downwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to thecenterline of the vessel, but diverging outwardly from the confrontingsloping surfaces of the lower brackets; and separate wedge piecesdisposed between and engaging the bearing surfaces of said lowerbrackets and the lower supporting surfaces of said trunnion ring. 2.Supporting means for a tiltable hot metal processing vessel subject tothermal expansion and contraction in radial and axial directions,comprising: a plurality of upper brackets for attachment to the vesselat spaced intervals thereabout, each having a laterally extendingtrunnion ring-engaging portion; a plurality of lower brackets forattachment to the vessel at spaced intervals thereabout at a level belowthe upper ones, each lower bracket having a laterally projectingsupporting portion, the supporting surface of which is inclineddownwardly and outwardly with respect to a plane transverse to the axisof the vessel on which it is mounted; a trunnion ring adapted toencircle the vessel, the top surface of which is arranged to havesliding contact with the ring-engaging portions of the upper bracketswhen they are operatively positioned on the vessel and the lower surfaceof which is spaced above the supporting portions of the lower bracketswhen the lower brackets are in operative position on the vessel, thelower surface of the ring which is spaced from but which confronts thesupporting portions of the lower brackets being also inclined downwardlyand outwardly from a plane transverse to the axis of the vessel butdiverging outwardly with respect to the supporting surfaces of the lowerbrackets; and a wedge on the supporting surface of each lower bracket inthe space between the lower surface of the ring and the supportingsurface of the bracket with top and bottom surfaces sloped to match theslopes of the respective surfaces between which the wedge is entered,the wedge being confined to allow limited relative radial movementbetween it and the parts between which it is disposed.
 3. The supportmeans as set forth in claim 2 wherein the surfaces of the trunnion ringwhich confront the supporting surfaces of the lower brackets areprovided by metal blocks of outwardly increasing thickness fixed to thebottom of the ring.
 4. The support means as set forth in claim 3 whereinthe lower brackets have a side wall at each end of the outwardly anddownwardly inclined supporting surface between which said blocks have aworking fit to substantially limit the vessel against axial movementrelative to the ring.
 5. The support means as set forth in claim 2wherein the upper brackets have a slide wall at each end of thering-engaging portion thereof between which the portions of the topsurface of the trunnion ring which contact tHe ring-engaging portionshave a working fit to substantially limit the vessel against axialmovement relative to the ring.
 6. The support means as set forth inclaim 3 wherein each wedge piece is adjustably not fixed to a block forrelative adjustment radially of the vessel.
 7. In the combination of atiltable hot metal processing vessel, a trunnion ring encircling thevessel, and upper and lower support means between the vessel andtrunnion ring; the improvement therewith in the lower support means,comprising: a plurality of circumferentially spaced brackets mounted onthe vessel and having inclined bearing surfaces thereon slopingdownwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to the centerline ofthe vessel; the trunnion ring having inclined lower supporting surfacespaced above and confronting the bearing surfaces of the brackets andsloping downwardly and outwardly from a plane transverse to thecenterline of the vessel, but diverging outwardly from the confrontingsloping surfaces of the brackets; and separate wedge pieces disposedbetween and engaging the bearing surfaces of said brackets and the lowersupporting surfaces of the trunnion ring.
 8. The improvements as setforth in claim 7 wherein the lower supporting surface of the trunnionring which confronts the bearing surfaces of the brackets are metalblocks of outwardly increasing thickness fixed to the bottom of thering.
 9. The improvement as set forth in claim 8 wherein each wedgepiece is adjustably not fixed to a block for relative adjustmentradially of the vessel.